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The Democratic Republic of Congo has labeled the European Union's continued minerals agreement with Rwanda as showing "clear double standards" while enforcing significantly wider sanctions in response to the war in Ukraine.

Government Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's top diplomat, urged the EU to impose far more severe sanctions against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the conflict in DRC's eastern territories.

"It represents evident double standards – I aim to be helpful here – that makes us wondering and interested about comprehending why the EU again struggles so much to implement measures," she emphasized.

Conflict Resolution Background

The DRC and Rwanda signed a conflict resolution in June, brokered by the United States and Qatar, intending to end the decades-old dispute.

However, fatal assaults on non-combatants have continued and a target date to establish a comprehensive peace agreement was missed in August.

International Findings

Last year, a international assessment team reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 rebel group and that the Rwandan military was in "actual command of M23 operations."

Rwanda has consistently denied assisting M23 and maintains its forces act in national security.

Leadership Call

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently called upon his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting militants in the DRC during a European gathering featuring both leaders.

"This requires you to command the M23 troops supported by your country to end this intensification, which has already caused enough fatalities," the president declared.

European Measures

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 persons and two groups – a armed faction and a Rwandan precious metals processor handling illegal supplies of the metal – for their role in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these findings of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has resisted requests to suspend a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner labeled the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a context where it has been established that Rwanda has been diverting DRC minerals" mined under brutal conditions of coerced employment, involving children.

The United States and many others have voiced apprehension about illegal trade in mineral resources in eastern Congo, obtained via compulsory work, then trafficked to Rwanda for shipment to support armed groups.

Humanitarian Crisis

The unrest in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with more than 7.8 million people internally displaced in affected areas and 28 million confronting nutritional challenges, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN reports.

International Engagement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner approved the deal with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also aims to give the United States expanded opportunity to Congolese natural resources.

She asserted that the US remains engaged in the resolution efforts and rejected claims that main concern was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

EU Cooperation

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a conference by emphasizing that the EU wanted "partnerships based on shared objectives and honoring independence."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – linking the resource-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's ocean access.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "significant aspects has been overshadowed by the crisis in eastern DRC."